Iraq bid to link Asia and Europe in US$17 billion road and rail project
- The Development Road aims to tie the Grand Faw Port in Iraq’s oil-rich south to Turkey, turning the country into a transit hub in a bid to rival the Suez Canal
- The project was announced on Saturday at a conference aimed at courting Arab interest, including from Arab Gulf states, Syria and Jordan
Iraq launched a US$17 billion project on Saturday to link a major commodities port on its southern coast by rail and roads to the border with Turkey, in a move designed to transform the country’s economy after decades of war and crisis.
The Development Road aims to tie the Grand Faw Port in Iraq’s oil-rich south to Turkey, turning the country into a transit hub by shortening travel time between Asia and Europe in a bid to rival the Suez Canal.
“The Development Road is not just a road to move goods or passengers. This road opens the door to development of vast areas of Iraq,” Farhan al-Fartousi, director general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, told Reuters.
Iraq’s government envisions high-speed trains moving goods and passengers at up to 300 kilometres (186.41 miles) per hour, links to local industry hubs and an energy component that could include oil and gas pipelines.
It would mark a significant departure from the country’s existing aged transport network.
Iraq’s train service currently operates a handful of lines, including slow oil freight and a single overnight passenger train that trundles from Baghdad to Basra, taking 10 to 12 hours to cover 500 kilometres.